Pieces of Bloomington
by Pretanama
Summary: It's 10 years after Jackie left Bloomington. Much has changed and Catherine is about to come back into her life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own any rights to the characters of Jackie Kirk and Catherine Stark. This has been adapted from a novel that I have written with completely different characters. Just thought this would be fun. This is my first fanfiction, so any comments would be appreciated.**

It was beginning to sprinkle lightly on the February morning as I jogged down Colorado Boulevard back to my apartment. I ran daily. Running was something easy to do and something I could do alone to settle the thoughts in my head. It was also a way for me to just be by myself and not have to worry about any tasks in my day. I left my phone at home so no one could find me. It was easier this way. I moved out to Pasadena so it would be quieter and away from the studios. It also made it easier for me to be less recognizable, not that I was very recognizable. After I completed the Neptune movie, I really could not find any consistent work in the industry. Thank goodness I completed my undergraduate degree at UCLA. Albeit it took me longer than I would have liked, I'm done with it. I started by graduate studies in Social and Decision Neuroscience a year ago and although it's been a slow go, I am proud that I'm sticking with it. Luckily, my work on Neptune has been able to pay for my schooling, and I've picked up a job as a bartender at a nearby bar. Although the money is great, I hope that I will be able to find a better paying job in neuroscience. Who knew this blonde brain would have the capacity for such scientific thought. I mean, I knew that I could, but I don't think she ever thought I was capable of it. _Stop thinking about her, this is why you run… so you can just stop thinking about her. Think about Liam. _

I met my fiancé, Liam, at UCLA. He was a journalism major and wanted to interview me for his project. I wasn't the only 'famous' person at UCLA, but he was ever so persistent. I was taking a required creative writing course, and so was he. It wasn't love at first sight, but there was definitely some sort of chemistry I couldn't explain.

I was a psychology major, so I wanted a clinical explanation of the feelings I had for him. Everyone in the class felt that we were perfect for each other. They encouraged us to constantly spend time together as writing partners. He had the biggest crush on me, and I shot him down many times while we were in the class. Liam was a relentless pursuer.

It was a rainy day when I fell for Liam. I was walking to class from my dorm. It usually wasn't a bad walk, but that day it seemed endless. It was wet and miserable, and I was tired of carrying my overly large and heavy biology book in my backpack.

Hunched over and covered with a purple hoodie sweatshirt, I was completely soaked as I waited as patiently as I could at a crosswalk. It was agonizing waiting for the signal to change from the red hand to the white silhouette of a man walking.

The light finally turned green and the sound of an electronic chirping bird indicated I could finally cross the main entrance onto campus.

Just as I approached the island in the middle of the crosswalk, a purple Honda Civic hit the island. I walked on, half in shock and half trying to prevent myself from bursting out in laughter. _What kind of idiot can't see a huge center divider like that?_

The idiot rolled down his window. It was Liam with a big grin on his face and he said, "Hey Jackie, you want a ride to class?"

At first, I didn't recognize him. After a few seconds I realized it was the dork from my creative writing class. I smiled and got into the passenger side of his car.

"Thanks, Liam. I really appreciate the ride."

"Not a problem. I was afraid you wouldn't want one since I hit the island," he said as he smiled.

Liam and I moved to Bellingham, Washington shortly after we graduated from UCLA. It was a small city that provided all the luxuries of a clean living place as well as the rugged desires of raw nature.

Camping was something Liam enjoyed frequently. I didn't necessarily enjoy the outdoors. Los Angeles wasn't exactly the best place for the outdoor experience unless you drove two hours out of the city.

We rented a cute cabin in the rural part of Bellingham. Liam worked from home for a local newspaper. I got odd jobs to make ends meet and flew back to L.A. when I had auditions.

I left Bellingham and Liam almost two years ago. I wasn't happy there and needed to be closer to the industry. Part of me really wanted to go back into acting full-time, but it was so hard to find gigs that I actually liked and believed in. It was also a legitimate excuse to leave Liam up in Bellingham and return to Los Angeles. Cal Tech was the icing on the cake. Their graduate program was not only a distraction, but gave me a tangible goal.

Adjusting to being an Angeleno again wasn't difficult for me, but I had to admit it was very lonely without Liam. I moved into an apartment above an outdoor mall in Pasadena. It was ideal since it was close to where I could find bartending gigs easily as well as attend school.

I lived in a one bedroom apartment with my roommate, Kaysie and our dog, Avogadro. I met Kaysie at a gas station. She was homeless and only 18. She's became like a kid sister to me. We later found a dog on the street that Kaysie said reminded her of herself, and we took him home. Together, we were a family. Kaysie called herself and Avogadro "the misfits." Liam didn't quite understand why I took a homeless kid into my apartment along with a dog, but it was something I didn't think he could understand. I loved him dearly, but he was hardly a sympathetic person.

The light sprinkle had become pouring rain as I finally got back to my apartment building, where Avogadro greeted me with the pitter-patter of his little paws and happily wagging tail.

It was early Saturday morning and I had passed out on the couch with Avogadro the night before after a long shift at the bar. I didn't want to risk waking Kaysie, who had been studying for finals and was completely exhausted, so I made the couch my bed for the evening. That was a big mistake, seeing that I woke up with a sore neck and back. _I'm getting too old for this. _

The doorbell rang once, and I was startled awake. Avogadro was equally startled. He barked a couple of times and then ran over to the door. He didn't really run, but rather he waddled. A cute little prance while wagging his tail.

I got up off the sofa and went to peek in the peephole. _It can't be. _My visitor was a slender blonde Caucasian woman who looked a lot like my ex, or former college professor, Catherine Stark. I blinked. _I must be dreaming. _I opened the door slowly with the chain attached.

"Hi-" I slowly said, as I noticed that she was holding a plate of brownies.

"Jackie? Wh-what are you doing here?" Catherine said. She looked a bit older and hair hair was nicely pulled back into a ponytail. I had not seen her face in nearly 10 years. When we last saw each other, I thought we would keep in touch, but it just didn't happen.

"Catherine? I live here, why are you here?"

"I just moved into 206. I wanted to get to know my neighbors. I didn't know you lived here," she said, quickly and then looked down at her plate of brownies. "Brownie?"

For a second, I couldn't speak. It was as though my breath was taken away. My palms became extremely sweaty, and I felt a bit faint. I composed myself, closed the door, took off the chain and opened the door wider to invite Catherine in.

Avogadro quickly took to liking Catherine. He circled her with his tail wagging and his tongue sticking out of his mouth. It always looked like he was smiling when he did that.

Catherine knelt down on one knee and petted my four legged friend.

"Hey puppy. What's your name?" she said as she petted him and checked out his name tag on his collar. "Avogadro. You're such a good boy, Avogadro."

I watched as my ex-lover scratched my puppy behind the ear and then stand up.

Her brown eyes stared straight into mine and captivated me.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Huh?" I stumbled. "I'm fine, thanks. His name is Avogadro."

"Yeah, I read that. He's very cute, like his owner."

"Excuse me?" I answered, like a blabbering idiot.

"I can't believe you're my neighbor," Catherine replied, smiling brightly.

I looked into her eyes and was simply awed by her beautiful brown eyes. I had to stop myself from staring on like a complete buffoon. "What? Yeah, I mean, wait when did you move in?"

"About 3 weeks ago. I finally got everything unpacked and did a little baking, figuring I could get to know some of my new neighbors," she responded with a quick one-eyed wink and a smile stretched from ear-to-ear.

With that comment she made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I haven't seen or heard from her in nearly 10 years. I was still so angry with her. _She hurt me so much - we really hurt each other._ I immediately gathered my thoughts and turned my awkward attention back to my guest.

"Uh. Can I get you a coffee or something? Sorry, I literally just woke up."

"Sure," Catherine answered as she settled onto the couch. Avogadro jumped up next to her and cuddled onto her lap.

I went into the kitchen and gathered my composure. I looked at the reflection on my stainless steel refrigerator and noticed my cheeks were completely flushed. _Calm down. _

I brewed the coffee. "Do you still take it black?"

"Yes, that's fine," she answered from the living room.

With two mugs of coffee, I returned to the living room. Our hands brushed quickly as I handed her the hot beverage.

"Mm. Thank you, smells great," she said as she took a sip. "So how long have you been living here?"

I quickly finished swallowing a sip of my coffee. "It's been probably about 2 years now."

"Are you still acting?"

"Sometimes. What about you? Are you still teaching?"

"Yeah, actually, I just got a job out here where I'll be doing research, and hopefully will be able to teach a course or two."

"Really? Where at?"

"Cal Tech."

I nearly spit out my coffee, choking.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just give me a second," I said as I coughed a bit.

The bedroom door swung open and Kaysie exited and headed straight to the bathroom. She was not fully awake and her hair was disheveled. She was dressed in nothing but pajama tops and undies. I could see Catherine's eyes following Kaysie as she went into the restroom.

"My roommate," I said, nonchalantly. "She's been studying hard for her finals, so she's kinda out of it."

"Oh, what's she studying?"

"Culinary arts. She's hoping to be a chef."

Catherine looked at my face, smiled. "So she's just a roommate?"

I laughed, "Yes. She's like a kid sister to me. I mean, I never had one, but I imagine that she would have been like her." _Stop talking. You sound like an idiot._

Catherine laughed adorably again. I noticed a dimple on her lower right cheek. It made her all that more beautiful. "Well, I can't wait to meet her," she said in between a couple of giggles.

"When she's more awake. Try not to startle her, she's not a morning person" I said.

She smiled and answered, "Sounds good. Brownie?"

I had forgotten about the brownies. Catherine was distracting. Just a glance from her brown eyes, and I was entranced.

I grabbed a brownie off the plate she set on the coffee table and took a bite, chasing it with my coffee. After I chewed thoroughly and made sure there wasn't any brownie residue on my teeth, I complimented her on her brownies and told her how much I loved chocolate.

"I remember," she said.

The restroom door opened and Kaysie stumbled out and then back into the bedroom. Her eyes were barely even open.

"She seems fun," Catherine commented.

"She really is a good person. Can't wait for you to meet her. I'm sure she'd love the recipe to these brownies."

We continued talking and catching up on the last 10 years as much as we could. She had changed so much. There were a few wrinkles now, but she was still gorgeous. I took another sip of my coffee and she noticed my engagement ring. I knew that she saw it because her eyes followed my hand has I put it back on my lap.

"Who's the lucky gal?" Catherine asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

I laughed awkwardly. "Actually, my fiance is named Liam. He's a journalist in Washington State."

"Wow. We do need to catch up."

"Yeah," I said in a sad tone. I never really got over Catherine. I actually never really understood what we were, if anything. Now she was my neighbor and wanted to 'catch up' and 'hang out'.

Avogadro fell asleep on her lap. At that moment, I envied him. He looked so comfortable. The door to the bedroom opened again and this time Kaysie came out fully dressed and her hair was nicely brushed. She yawned, "Is there any coffee?" She notices Catherine. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know you had company."

Catherine stands up and offers her hand for a handshake, "Hi, I'm Catherine, your neighbor in 206."

"Oh hey, I'm Kaysie. Jackie's roommate. You did look familiar, I've probably seen you in the hallway."

"I made brownies," Catherine offers a brownie to Kaysie who takes one.

"Try them, they are amazing," I said.

"I'm going to have it with my coffee. Thank you," Kaysie politely said as she headed to the kitchen.

Catherine sat back down and Avogadro quickly curled up on her lap. _You're staying. That was your opportunity to leave._ I sat back down and she reached over and put her hand on my face with her thumb slightly stroking the corner of my mouth. "You've got a little brownie right here."

I pulled away from her quickly and wiped my mouth with my hand. I wasn't sure how to react, but I tried to brush it off as nonchalantly as possible.

I took a quick sip of my coffee and said, "I was saving that for later." I smiled and laughed, nervously.

"For me, later?"

My jaw must have dropped at that moment or at least I think it must have. I'm sure it didn't, but I'm positive I was blushing uncontrollably. All I could do at that moment was clear my throat and change the subject. Thank goodness Kaysie came out of the kitchen.

"This brownie is amazing," Kaysie said with her mouth full. "You have to give me the recipe."

"Of course. I'll write it down and bring it over. I heard that you had a few recipes yourself? Culinary school, huh?"

"Oh?" Kaysie looked at me, embarrassed.

"I told her that you were tired because you're studying for finals. You went to the restroom earlier when we were chatting."

"Oh." Kaysie turned bright red. "Sorry about that. I didn't know we had a guest."

"It's okay. It wasn't that bad, really," Catherine said, politely.

"I'm just messing with you, kiddo," I said. "Are you studying today?"

"Actually, I've got to practice making a few things on my menu. I have the written part of the exam part down, I think. It's really the practicum that I'm worried about now."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Your food is always excellent."

"If you need someone to experiment on, I'm in 206," Catherine chimed in.

"Really?" Kaysie said, excitedly.

"Yeah, I love food and I could use some friends around here."

"Did you just move in?"

"Yes, about 3 weeks ago. I'll be working at Cal Tech," Catherine said.

"Oh cool! Jacks goes there."

_Kaysie, why do you have to keep talking?_

"You do?" Catherine asked.

"Uh, yeah I didn't mention that?"

"What are you studying?"

"I'm a grad student in Social and Decision Neuroscience."

"You're kidding. I start my research in that department on Monday."

"Wow, small world," Kaysie said as she took a sip of her coffee. "I'm going to go on a run. Jacks you want to come?"

"Yeah, I probably should. Brownies are too good."

"Oh, I'll leave you girls to it then," Catherine said as she got up, signaling Avogadro to move to the other side of the couch. "Keep the brownies. I'll get the plate from you later?"

"Thanks," I proceeded to walk her to the door, opened the door and she walked out. "See you, Catherine."

She turned around and looked at me with her brown eyes and whispered, "Bye Jackie."

I closed the door and leaned my forehead against it, closing my eyes. Tears began to fall.

"Jacks? What's wrong?" Kaysie asked, frantically.

"It's Catherine."

"What about her?"

"It's Catherine. My Catherine."

"Wait, what?"


	2. Chapter 2

I ran 10 miles with Kaysie that morning. I was neurotic when it came to running. When I had a problem, I ran. Arguing with Liam would prompt me to run. If my mother dropped by unexpectedly, I would tell her I was just about to go for a run. Running was my escape – from everything.

I started another run the next morning at 4:30 a.m. I couldn't sleep after I got home from work at 3:00 a.m., and I thought a run would not only clear my head but tire me out. I would have gone running in the middle of the night, but it was Los Angeles, not Bellingham. I promised Liam I would never go jogging at night alone. _Was 4:30 a.m. still considered 'night'?_

The sun was not out yet, but you could tell it was creeping up over the horizon. The moon was beginning to disappear. The streets were empty and the ground was wet from early morning dew.

I opened the door to the apartment building gingerly. I didn't want to wake up the manager, Mr. Stevens, whose apartment was right next to the door. If I woke him, he would for sure tell me when I got back. As he put it, I was the only tenant, "... insane enough to be running so early in the morning."

The cold air hit my face quickly and it sent a chill down my spine. I wore my pink jogging jumpsuit with white reflector stripes. I knew I had to be visible because if I got hit by a car and ended up in the hospital, I would never hear the end of it from my mother.

My mother wouldn't have said, "Oh my poor baby, are you okay?", but rather she would have said, "Are you completely stupid? How could you be running in the dark? No wonder you got hit by a car."

I was running on Colorado Boulevard with my mp3 player blasting into my ears through my earbuds when she ran up next to me and scared the crap out of me.

It was Catherine. Catherine Stark, the woman I fell in love with 10 years ago when I was a young and stupid kid. I was 22, but I really hadn't been able to experience life like other 22 year olds did. I had a lot to learn and Catherine educated me on basic psychology as well heartache. Now, she was back in my life -- showing up at my door with a plate of brownies.

Once I saw that it was her, my heart began to pound quickly. Perhaps it was because I was startled by her sudden presence during the pre-dawn hour, but I also felt something odd in my stomach. _I've had this feeling before._

She was wearing a jogging outfit that hugged her body tightly. Every curve was noticeable. _Amazing body for your early 40s._ I could see her mouth moving, but I couldn't hear her and for a second I thought I had lost my hearing, but then I remembered that I had music cranked up through my earbuds.

As soon as I realized how rude I was, I took out my right ear bud. "I'm sorry. You said something?"

"Yeah, I was wondering, if you mind my running with you?

I was hesitant, "Uh, sure. I guess."

"I promise I won't slow you down."

_Slow me down? I'm more afraid I'll trip and embarrass myself in front of you like an idiot. _

"Okay," I said and put my earbud back into my ear, and I took off running.

She kept up with me pretty well, and we ran for about a mile before she tried to talk to me. I wasn't used to someone talking to me while running, so it annoyed me quite a bit when she tried to interrupt my pace. I pretended not to hear her through my earbuds and jogged on.

Her legs were much longer than mine, but I was a very fast runner and she tried to keep up, but every time she caught up, I would run faster. We were a mile from home when I lost her. I kept on running faster and faster, not looking back.

I got back to my apartment building around 6 a.m., which would give me enough time to shower, have breakfast, wrestle with Avogadro, and watch some of the morning news before heading off to Cal Tech.

I ran up the stairs to the second floor and there she was. She was sitting on the floor by my door reading the newspaper. _Why does my heart race whenever I see you? You're just going to end up breaking my heart again._

She looked up as I got to the top of the stairs and our eyes met. Her deep brown eyes stared into mine and it was as though she could see into my soul. I felt completely naked.

"I never knew you were such a fast runner," she said as she got up off the floor.

I walked closer to the door. She smiled at me, and I stopped myself from smiling back.

"So do you run every day?"

"Yeah, just about," I answered, as I fumbled with my keys. For the life of me I couldn't get the key into the keyhole.

She looked at me and smiled as I continued to struggle with the keys. "Do I make you nervous?"

I stopped fidgeting with the keys and look into Catherine's eyes. I let out my usual nervous short laugh and said, "Nervous? Catherine, why would you make me nervous?"

Catherine leaned over and whispered into my ear, "If I don't, I need to work harder at it."

I couldn't move. I stared into her eyes as she pulled away from me and then noticed her lips. They were perfect in size and shape, just as I remembered them. I wanted to kiss them. _What am I thinking? She broke my heart!_

The sound of a car alarm from the street snapped me out of my daze. I quickly put my key into the door and opened it.

"I'm late for class."

I went inside and slammed the door behind me quickly. I couldn't breathe. _What the hell just happened?_

Kaysie was on the couch studying and turned her head when she heard the door slam. "You okay, Jacks? What's wrong?"

*

Class was agonizing. I couldn't focus on anything and my thoughts kept going back to the morning with Catherine. _Why did she have to come back into my life now?_ I rejected a call from Liam, he had been calling all morning, but I did not have the energy to also deal with him.

I started my thesis course and really needed to focus. I wanted to do research on cognitive behavior and knowing that Catherine was also doing research in the department bothered me. We had been here before and she lost her job because of me. _Because of us._ I didn't want it to affect her again, and I certainly didn't want her affecting my future either. Fortunately, my research advisor was not Catherine. I was introduced to Dr. Melissa Alexander, and we discussed my future in research with her team. She seemed like a tough lady and I knew I couldn't mess up with her, or I wouldn't be graduating.

It had been over a week since Catherine stopped by my apartment with brownies. She had been stalking me daily. When I went for my morning jogs, she was always at the front of the building waiting for me. After work, she would be at the top of the stairs, reading a book or on her laptop.

I had no choice but to go in to school super early in order to avoid her or stay late at work. I wasn't ready to start anything again. _Was that even anything 10 years ago? Or was I just a fling to her. She had so many, too many to even tell me how many. _

*

"I saw Catherine today," Kaysie said as she was cooking in the kitchen.

"Oh yeah?" I answered, not bothering to look up from my laptop.

"Yeah. I invited her over for dinner later. I need someone else to taste my food, so I can get an honest opinion."

"You're kidding me, right?" I said as I looked at Kaysie disappointed. "How could you do that to me?"

"Do what? It's just dinner."

"You know what. Kaysie, you know what happened. You know our history."

"That's the thing, Jackie, I don't even think you know your history. I mean, you're not even honest with yourself about your feelings, so how would you be honest with her?"

I closed the lid to my laptop and got up to go to the bedroom to change. "I'm going to work early."

"Jacks--"

I slammed the door to the bedroom behind me before Kaysie could finish her sentence. _I know she means well, but this is not her business. Why does she have to get in the middle of it?_

The sound of the door knob jiggled as I got changed. It was Kaysie, trying to apologize or get me to listen to her excuse that I was not ready to hear, "Jackie, I'm sorry. I can cancel with Catherine. Can you please open the door?" she said through the door.

I sighed and then opened the door.

"It's fine. I'm going to work early. I'll be home late," I said, bluntly. Kaysie knew that I was upset with her, and I could see it in her eyes that she was hurt and was really sorry, but I wasn't ready to deal with any of my feelings. I grabbed my keys and exited the apartment.

*

The night at the bar was long and filled with many overly intoxicated men and women that were sleazy flirts. I only flirted back for the tips. The owner, Erin and I always had each others backs. It was like a mild game for us, and we would split the tips at the end of the evening to be fair, but she always gave me extra since she did own the place. Erin was a nice girl who had a bad streak. She was a natural at flirting with anything that breathed and definitely managed to teach me a few things during the time we had worked together. She was a trust fund kid who decided to move out to Los Angeles from Boston to pursue a career in music, but she knew that she needed something to bring in income, so she started the bar. She had live music at the bar and lived in the apartment above it, so I knew she was invested and she told me I'd always have a job with her. She was smart and reliable, but also had a reputation for breaking hearts and being a love 'em and leave 'em gal.

Erin had met Kaysie when Kaysie came to my work one evening. She wasn't old enough to drink yet and I didn't want her exposed to all the sleazeballs, but I had forgotten my keys one night and she came to drop them off. Erin immediately noticed Kaysie, and I could tell that it was mutual. Both Erin and Kaysie were openly gay, but Kaysie was way too shy to really make a move, which was a relief to me since Erin was really bad news in terms of relationships. Since their meeting, Erin had been asking about Kaysie just about every night, but I wanted Erin to stay away from her. _She's like my little sister._ Unfortunately, after Kaysie invited Catherine over and disregarding my feelings, I was in no mood to protect her.

"You're early today." she inquired.

"I'm trying to avoid someone."

"Who? Kaysie? How is your baby sis today?" Erin asked, as she always did every night.

"At home. She's okay. She asked about you," I said, spitefully.

"Oh, she must have pissed you off. You never talk to me about her," she said, smiling. "You're always afraid I'd corrupt her or something. When are you going to bring her around?"

"She's not even old enough to drink yet and I think she's a little young for you."

"You know I love 'em young. Besides, it's not that much of an age gap."

"It's 10 years." _10 years, like Catherine and I._

*

It was dark when I entered the apartment early the next morning. Kaysie was fast asleep on the couch with Avogadro cuddled next to her. She looked exhausted and was more than likely up late waiting for me to get home. It was a busy night at the bar, so clean up took longer than usual. I was also trying to avoid Catherine as best I could.

I walked quietly over to the edge of the couch, grabbed the throw that was on top of the couch and laid it over Kaysie. I expected her to stir, but she didn't even move. _I wonder how dinner went._ Curious as to what she made for dinner, I went into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator and found no leftovers. _That's odd._ She usually packed lunch for us for the next day of whatever was leftover from dinners she made. After checking the counter for any leftovers, I lifted the lid to find the entire meal in the trash. _It doesn't look burnt or smell bad. What happened?_

I didn't have the energy to investigate any further and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning and went out into the living room, a plate of breakfast was on the dining table with a short note that read:

_Heat it up for 3 minutes in the microwave. - K_

I immediately called Kaysie's cell, but it kicked straight to voicemail. _Shit. I was the one who was supposed to be mad. Seriously kid? _ There was a knock on the door as I hung up the phone. I didn't even think to ask who it was and before I knew it, I swung the door wide open.

"Hi," Catherine said. "How are you?"

"What happened last night?" I spat out.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Dinner. Last night. What happened during dinner?"

"Dinner? I had dinner at home last night. What are you talking about?" Catherine said, confused.

"Wait, I'm confused. Weren't you supposed to come over for dinner last night to help Kaysie with her final menu?" I asked, concerned.

"She texted me and said she had to cancel. She said she wasn't feeling well. It's why I came over, I wanted to see if she needed anything. Are you okay?" Catherine looked at Jackie concerned and confused.

"Why would she text you that?" I said, bluntly.

"How would I know?" Catherine responded, sharply. "I should go." She went to the door and exited passed the threshold.

I looked up and saw her storming away, and said, "Wait. Catherine, don't go. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -- I'm just upset. Kaysie and I had an argument last night."

She turned around and looked at me with her brown eyes that made my heart ache. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have just stopped by."

"No, I mean, that's okay. Thanks for checking on her. It's really nice of you."

"It's not a problem. I should go. Have a nice day," she said as she turned and walked toward her apartment door.

After a moment, I turned around and closed the door behind me and looked at Avogadro, "What am I going to do Avogadro?" He looked at me and then turned around and walked to his bed in the corner. "You're mad at me, too?"

*

The day passed slowly but it was 9:00 p.m., and I still hadn't heard from Kaysie. I had to be at work in an hour for the late shift and her phone was still going straight into voicemail. Since she moved into my apartment, she had run away 5 times. Each time, it was after an argument, but I was always able to find her and convince her to come home. Kaysie had been abused severely as a child and was in about 30 foster homes before she aged out when she turned 18. After 18, she lived on the streets and did what she could to survive. She had never been one for confrontations and running away was her way of fixing things, so even the smallest of arguments would cause her to just leave. She had never ignored my calls though. Each time, she would at least answer and let me know that she was fine. This time, it was just silent.

I wanted to skip work and go looking for Kaysie, but I knew that if I skipped a busy Saturday, we wouldn't be able to make rent that month. _It's going to be a long night._

*

The night at the bar was agonizing. I kept checking my phone and the only one who texted me was Catherine, asking if Kaysie had come home. She cares. It was extremely busy, but we were able to close up at 2:00 a.m. When I got home, there was a plate of dinner on the table with a short note that read:

_5 minutes in the microwave on high and I'm sorry. - K_

The note made me smile because I knew that she was in the bedroom, in her bed, fast asleep and safe. I was still angry with her, but knowing that she was safe made my anger subside.

*

The next morning I woke up in my bed and noticed that Kaysie was already gone. _Not again_. I rapidly got up and headed into the living room to find Kaysie and Avogadro on the couch watching television together.

"Good morning, there's coffee and breakfast," Kaysie said, without turning to look at me.

"Thanks," I said, as I went into the restroom to brush my teeth. By the time I was done, I returned to find just Avogadro on the couch. Kaysie came out of the bedroom with her backpack. "Where you going, kiddo?"

"I'm going to work," she bluntly said.

"Work? Where are you working?" I was confused, since we had agreed that she would concentrate on school, and I would handle the bills until she was finished with her degree.

"I got a part-time job at the coffee shop around the corner. It's not a big deal. I'll still make sure I have your meals ready for you as we agreed to."

"That's not the point, we had a deal, you would finish school and I would pay the bills," I said, raising my voice slightly.

"I just want some experience and this is going to give it to me. I know what our deal was. I'm going to make sure I fulfill my end of it," she said, angrily.

I had never seen her get that angry before. For the most part, Kaysie was sheepish and shy. It was odd seeing her raise her voice to me or even talk back to me.

"I have to go, I'm going to be late," she said as she opened the front door and exited, slamming the door behind her.

Minutes later there was a knock on the door. Still upset, I opened the door without even checking on who was out there. On the other side of the door was Catherine, who looked concerned. _I really need to look through the peephole before I open the door._

"Hey Jackie, everything okay over here?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, quickly looking away. I wasn't good at hiding my feelings and Catherine read me very well, at least she did 10 years ago.

"It's just that, I heard Kaysie and you arguing. She's back, huh?"

"Yeah, she came home last night, but she just left to go to work."

"Oh? Where does she work?"

"She apparently got a job at the coffee shop around the corner -- news to me. She's supposed to be focusing on finishing up her degree."

"Well, maybe she thought you might need some help with the bills or something."

"I don't need help with the bills. She just needs to focus."

"Jackie, it's clear that you care about her, but maybe she needs a little space."

"What? What are you talking about? Why are you even here? I mean, it's none of your business," I spat out, angrily.

Catherine put her hands up in a position of surrender. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm going now."

"No, Catherine, wait," I grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "I'm sorry. I'm not upset with you. It's just that I love Kaysie and I want the best for her. I just don't know what's going on with her right now."

"It's okay," Catherine responded softly and then looked down at my hand that was still on her arm.

I realized that I was still holding her arm and quickly let it go. "I didn't mean to grab you."

"It's okay," she said, even softer than before as she looked at me with her brown eyes.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"What?"

"You never called me. I thought we would keep in touch, and now suddenly you're here, in the same building I live in, at the same school I go to."

"I wanted to, but you never reached out to me either," she replied with a bit of resentment.

"Is it because I wasn't worth it?" I asked. Those words resonated in my mind every time I thought about her for the past 10 years.

"Jackie--I--" she said, as my phone began to ring, interrupting her. I quickly looked at the caller ID. It was Liam, but I sent him to voicemail and directed my attention back to Catherine. She must have noticed who was calling, because her demeanor changed quickly. "I should go. Have a great day, Jackie." With that, she left before I could even say a word, leaving me frozen in the living room.


End file.
